JAGESHWAR
For centuries now
It's been standing there
Stone upon stone
To the weather laid bare
A piece of marvel
A work of art
A monument of faith
From the very start
No cement or mortar
Holds it in place
Just some carved stones
Put together with grace
Reflecting man's belief
In the Unknown
Labour of love
For all to own
Countless pious feet
Have come and gone
It has heard bells peel
On every new dawn
The pleading of souls
In their hour of need
Also the feigned piety
Of men full of greed
The deity within
Also made of stone
Propitiated by sinners
Their sins to atone
And by kings when they
Ascended the throne
Or by young girls
Beginning to feel alone
It has withstood time
Beside the stream that flows
Watching patiently
As the deodar grows
And falls to its doom
Through loosened soil
Or to the cruel axe
And the woodman's toil
Seasons kept changing
The earth changed shape
It has been mute witness
To the Himalaya's rape
Yet like stone
It does not stir
This beautiful temple
At Jageshwar